Josh's Challenge Read online

  Melissa had shut the door and was now leading him to a barstool in the kitchen. All thoughts of her roommate vanished as his eyes landed on Melissa’s heart-shaped rear end in those itty-bitty boy shorts.

  “She’s cute, isn’t she?”

  “Angelica!” This time Melissa’s voice was loud, startling a chuckle out of him.

  “She sure is,” he admitted. Melissa immediately turned to the coffeepot and began pouring mugs while shaking her head. He wanted her to know that he was attracted to her, even if she wasn’t attracted to him. That thought burned his ass. Had she liked that professor before things went bad? Josh wondered about the men Melissa was attracted to. Were they handsome? Was she into the academic type? Josh wasn’t an idiot, but his interests were more outdoorsy, like camping and sports.

  “What had you banging on my door so early, Josh?” Melissa asked, business-like as she placed a mug of hot coffee in front of him.

  “Shit,” he muttered, before he pulled his cell phone out of the zippered pocket of his running shorts and speed-dialed Jarod’s number. He’d been completely distracted by the opposite sex. Now that he’d confirmed that Melissa was safe, it was time to call in his brother. The girls looked at him like he was crazy before looking at each other, shrugging.

  He listened to two rings before the line opened. “Sheriff’s office, Marguerite speaking.”

  “Hey, it’s Josh. Can you send Jarod out to Melissa’s?” he asked.

  “Of course. Why?”

  He took a breath and looked Melissa in the eyes before he said, “Because your sister’s stalker has left another message.”

  Melissa gasped and put one hand over her mouth and the other over her heart. Angelica’s reaction was to get up and put her arms around Melissa before she gave him a glare.

  Marguerite, on the other hand, was fierce. “I’ll have him there in ten minutes.”

  “Thanks, Marguerite.”

  “What does it say?” Melissa asked in a panicked whisper.

  He gritted his teeth before growling out, “‘I’ll never let you go.’”

  Angelica squeezed Melissa’s shoulders. “It’s gotta be Harold.”

  Melissa stood in a daze for a moment before she straightened her spine. “No, it can’t be. Not after all this time.”

  “He wasn’t subtle before, Missy. It doesn’t sound like he’s changed much.”

  Josh gave Angelica a thoughtful look before he asked, “You knew him?”

  She turned her big eyes on him. “Yes, I’m the one who helped Missy get the restraining order. He was pretty creepy.”

  “I’m getting dressed,” Melissa announced as she unwrapped herself from Angelica’s hug, then stomped up the stairs.

  Josh followed her with his eyes until she was out of sight.

  “You’re in love with her, aren’t you?” Angelica asked, her shrewd eyes narrowing in accusation.

  The L-word took him by surprise and had him stammering. “What? No, no, no…it’s not like that at all,” he began to explain. Lauren might’ve guessed, but his feelings were not public knowledge.

  She tilted her head at him. “Yeah? Then what’s it like? By the way you just looked at her, there is no doubt that you have the hots for her.”

  “I’ve just never seen her dressed like . . .” A knock on the door interrupted his confession. Knowing Jarod had just saved his ass from having to explain himself, he hurried to the front door to let in his brother.

  “It’s not permanent. I was able to rub some off with my finger after taking some photos,” the sheriff said without preamble, typical of Jarod when he was in cop mode.

  Melissa rushed down the stairs now dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. She was still barefoot, though she’d put her hair back into its usual French braid. “Where is it?” she asked.

  Jarod held the front door for her, and everyone but Angelica, who was still sporting only a long t-shirt, stepped outside. Melissa stopped short, causing Josh to bump into her back as she read the cryptic message on the back of her Honda. He caught her shoulders in a light touch, holding her steady as she gaped at the sight. “Are you all right?” he asked quietly.

  He felt her shoulders slump for a moment before her spine went ramrod straight. There was no shyness in her voice when she said, “No, but I will be. You’re right, Jarod. This isn’t new to me. This is the kind of crap that Harold used to pull on me at school.”

  Josh gave her shoulders a slight squeeze before dropping his hands to step beside her. “Jarod says it will wash off, Melissa.”

  “That’s a relief, although Harold never did any permanent damage to my property,” she explained. She shook her head for a moment, as if thinking about things. “Why now? I haven’t seen or heard from him in years. None of this makes any sense.”

  Josh had no response while Jarod took some more pictures for evidence. “It’s hard to know what triggers this kind of behavior, but Timbisha is a small town. If a stranger is lurking around, chances are someone is going to notice and turn him in.”

  Josh knew Jarod was right, but he still had an uneasy feeling that whoever was doing this was just getting started.

  MISSY’S UNEASE OF the past few weeks quickly turned to anger. She had a temper when she was pushed too far, and if Harold thought he could frighten her away from her home, he was sadly mistaken. Fortunately, her anger made her think clearly, distracting her from her social anxiety.

  “I’ll get a bucket with soap and wash it off for you,” Josh said as he took off for his garage.

  “I’ll grab some towels and a sponge,” Missy added before she turned to Jarod. “Thanks for coming out so quickly.”

  “Are you kidding? My new secretary would’ve chewed off half my ass if I hadn’t hightailed it over here,” Jarod chuckled. “I was two streets over when I got her call.”

  “Sorry about that. Marguerite can be . . .” she struggled for a word that wouldn’t disparage her sister in front of her boss.

  “Tenacious?” Jarod suggested.

  “That’s putting it mildly,” Missy admitted, relieved that he understood. “Do you want some coffee before you head back to the station?”

  “That’d be great.” Jarod followed her back into the townhouse. “No one ever refills the damn pot at the office,” he muttered under his breath.

  THE SUN WAS shining brightly when Josh turned the hose off. Missy couldn’t take her eyes off of him. He seemed to grow more handsome each time she was with him. He’d shown up in his running shorts and sleeveless running shirt. His clothing emphasized every muscle, and his tattoos glistened underneath the fine mist of the spray. When she moved to pick up the bucket, he was beside her in a flash, removing the handles from her hands. “I’ve got that,” he said, taking the bucket and dumping it in the grass.

  “Thank you.” She picked up a towel and began drying off her car. Through her lashes, her eyes followed him as he set down the now empty bucket, grabbed a towel for himself, and then began drying the other side of her car. A minute passed before he broke the silence.

  “How long does Angelica plan on staying with you?”

  Ah, he was interested in her sexy friend. That explained why he’d helped with the car. He wanted to pick her brain about Angelica. It pained Missy to think about it, but they’d make a handsome couple. “I’m not sure. She’s starting a new job this week.”

  He popped his head up over the roof. “Where’s that at again?”

  She didn’t believe for a second that he didn’t remember the circumstances of Angelica’s visit. “Timbisha County Medical Center.”

  “And what will her hours be?”

  If he was trying to figure out a convenient time to ask Angelica out, why didn’t he just ask her himself? Missy was sure that her roommate would be more than willing to go out with him, but she grudgingly answered anyway. “I don’t know what shift she’ll have, but I know she’ll work ten- to twelve-hour shifts. Why?” Man, she was a glutton for punishment. She already knew why. He wanted to
take Angie out on a—

  “Because I want to know how often you’ll be alone. With this creep on the loose, I want you safe,” he said, surprising her.

  “You don’t want to ask her out?” Missy cringed as the words formed an embarrassing bubble in the air above their heads. His dimple appeared in his cheek before spreading into the killer grin he was known for. She wanted to kick herself—or him, she wasn’t sure which.

  “Uh, no,” he said, dragging out the no in a singsong voice. “I don’t have time for a woman like Angie.” He shook his head and continued to dry his side of the car.

  Offended on her friend’s behalf, she demanded, “What do you mean, ‘a woman like Angie?’ Angelica is terrific!”

  He’d already worked his way down the passenger side and dried the rear of the car and was now working his way up to her. He stood up and looked into her eyes, the epitome of seriousness. “She’s not my type, Melissa.”

  Caught in the spell cast by those amazingly blue King eyes, she merely whispered, “Oh,” while time stood still. He raised his hand to rub his thumb over her bottom lip, making her body tremble. When he brushed a tender kiss to her surprised mouth, she murmured out another, “Oh.”

  “Yes, ‘oh,’” he confirmed with a knowing look. Just as he leaned in for another sweet kiss, they were interrupted.

  “What’d I miss?” Angelica asked as she bounded down the porch steps.

  Missy was so startled she jumped back guiltily from Josh. “Nothing.”

  Josh snagged the wet towel from her hand, annoyed. “To be continued,” he whispered before gathering up the bucket and heading back to his townhouse. “I’ll be right back,” he threw over his shoulder.

  Missy schooled her features but still couldn’t keep her eyes off Josh’s retreating behind.

  “What’s wrong?” Angelica asked.

  “Nothing,” Missy repeated while waiting for Josh to disappear into his garage. A giddy feeling came over her and she squealed, “He kissed me!”

  “Really? Wow, he works fast.”

  “Fast? I’ve known him forever, Angelica.”

  “Exactly, and he’s just now showing an interest?” She shook her head. “Maybe he’s a damsel-in-distress kind of guy. I wouldn’t get too excited over it.”

  Missy frowned, a little offended at Angelica’s dismissive comment. But hadn’t she tried to ignore her attraction to Josh over the years because of his reputation with women? Maybe her roommate was correct. Missy wasn’t Josh’s type, based on his previous attractions. Angelica knew men a heck of a lot better than she did, and Angelica had also been correct about Harold. Missy would take Angelica’s advice to heart and try not to read too much into Josh’s kiss. He was Timbisha’s favorite bachelor, after all.

  With the exception of brief hellos before work, it had been two days since Josh had seen Melissa. Two days since he’d kissed her. Every morning either one of them had an excuse not to jog. For him it was meetings with his father, and for her it was vet emergencies. When he’d gone back to his townhouse to drop off the buckets, Jason had called, needing Josh’s help with some lighting on the new home he was building for Julie and their first child. Then, yesterday, while picking out a bottle of wine for Melissa at the grocery store, Josh received a text from his mother asking for help with a display for her catering business. He’d finished it in time to eat dinner and deliver that bottle of wine to Melissa, but when he called her to confirm that she was home, she told him that she’d gone out to dinner with Angelica. It seemed that their busy lives were conspiring against him, and he was going crazy for another taste.

  He missed her.

  “Son, what are you doing?” James asked, annoyance personified.

  “Sorry, Dad, I’m just a little distracted. What were you saying?” They were sitting around the conference table in the trailer King Construction had set up as an office behind Molly’s Diner. It was just the two of them, since Jason was still working on the new house. Thinking of it reminded him that he was also worried about his best friend. Julie’s pregnancy wasn’t going smoothly. She had been put on bed rest after her last doctor’s appointment due to her developing pre-eclampsia—sudden onset of high blood pressure in pregnancy—and edema. For now it was being controlled with rest and medication, but the entire family was concerned for both mother and child. Jason was on the ragged edge, and Josh prayed that his brother would refrain from killing any of their subcontractors before Julie gave birth.

  James raised a concerned eyebrow. “Has something else happened to Missy?”

  “I wouldn’t know. I haven’t seen her since her car was graffitied.”

  James set his pen down and leaned back in his chair. “Jarod said there was no permanent damage.”

  “No, but the message was clear. Her stalker is here in Timbisha, and he’s not letting up one bit,” Josh replied before tossing his own pen on the table and standing up to pace the small confines of the trailer. “What kind of man gets off on frightening a beautiful young woman, Dad?”

  “The kind that isn’t a man at all,” James said with conviction. The Kings didn’t tolerate bullies or cowards, and a stalker was both. “I’ve had a few discussions with Dane on this matter. He’s looking into this Harold person. Apparently, he went missing a few weeks ago, just packed a bag and left without a word to his colleagues at the university or what little family he had in the area.”

  “Does Jarod know?”

  “Of course. Don’t forget that Dane is Missy’s uncle. Family comes first, and Jarod understands that all too well. Besides,” James chuckled, “Jarod appreciates Dane’s expertise after all that business last fall, and Marguerite is running the show at the sheriff’s office. Jarod doesn’t really have a choice in the matter.”

  Picturing Marguerite and Jarod duking it out at the station brought a devious grin to Josh’s face. Marguerite was not a woman to be trifled with. She’d always known how to get what she wanted. There’d been a brief moment in high school when he’d thought Marguerite was attracted to him, which had scared the hell out of him because he’d been a little attracted to her. Back then he’d been a little attracted to all the girls, but Marguerite was high maintenance, and, although she was beautiful, she just didn’t compare to Melissa’s gentle elegance.

  “If you’re finished mooning over Missy, can we get back to work now? The hotel isn’t going to build itself,” James said, once again letting his irritation show.

  Josh chuckled as he resumed his seat. “Yeah, old man, we can. Keep your shirt on.”

  They spent the rest of the morning poring over the building inspector’s reports, comparing them to various plans, and weighing architectural pros and cons on style with regard to structure. Though King Construction had built its business doing work for Timbisha County and the State of Nevada, Molly’s Diner and Hotel would be the first project that Josh would have a personal interest in, and one he would share with his father. Molly’s was a landmark in Timbisha and it needed to be preserved. He wanted to get it right.

  They left the trailer for the comfort of the diner by lunchtime. When they pushed through the glass doors, Josh’s face split into a grin. Melissa was sitting at the counter with Marguerite. Before he got the chance to say hello, his father caught their attention. “Hello, ladies. Would you care to join me and my son for lunch?”

  Josh rolled his eyes as his father oozed charm all over the diner. Marguerite smiled while Melissa’s endearing blush colored her cheeks. “Thank you, Mr. King, we’d love to,” Marguerite said, grabbing her water and nudging Melissa off her stool.

  “I’ll let Karen know you’re moving,” Josh said, flagging their waitress behind the counter and gesturing to his father’s normal booth. To Josh’s delight, Marguerite faked out her sister, letting Melissa slide into the booth first and just as she was getting ready to sit down, Marguerite sat on the opposite side of the booth facing Melissa. His father, God love him, sat next to Marguerite leaving the space next to Melissa open for Josh.
It was the smoothest move he’d seen in a while. He was still chuckling when he slid into the booth, barely keeping from bumping his thigh into Melissa, who, he noted, was glaring at her sister.

  The time apart had amped up his attraction to her, and he wanted to get his lips back on hers. Unfortunately, he couldn’t think of a single excuse to kiss her in the diner.

  “What are you two handsome devils up to today?” Marguerite asked. Josh caught the wink she’d sent to her sister.

  “Working on the plans for the hotel, Ms. Theroux. How are things down at the station?”

  While James engaged Marguerite in small talk, Josh leaned in to Melissa and asked quietly, “How’s our kitten?” That was the other thing that had sucked about being apart from her. He’d missed the damn cat, too.

  “She’s great.” Melissa gave him a relaxed smile. Talking about animals was the key to her heart, and Josh would work that lock every chance he got.

  “I was thinking of putting some steaks on the grill tonight. Wanna bring her over?” In for penny, he thought to himself.

  “The usual, Mr. King?” Karen interrupted, as she set down two plates in front of the sisters.

  “Yes, that sounds great.”

  “How about you, Josh?”

  He stared at Melissa’s plate and drooled. She’d ordered the deluxe double cheeseburger with fries, his favorite. Truly, he was falling for her more every day. He pointed at her plate. “I’ll have what she’s having.”

  IT WAS NO wonder half the female population of Timbisha was in love with Josh. He made ordering food sound naughty. Here he was eyeballing her cheeseburger like it was a filet mignon and asking her to his place for dinner, which she hadn’t agreed to yet. She felt giddy—a dangerous way to feel, but she couldn’t help herself. He was good at short-circuiting her senses.

  “You don’t already have plans again, do you?” he asked with what sounded like frustration.